Hello to all who read this.
This post is not one of my normal Internet Marketing or progress reports on the program but a warning about using power tools.
This weekend I was working with my wife and eldest son at his house clearing up the aftermath of the recent storms.
One of his trees had to be cut down and we were splitting the wood with a hydraulic wood splitter. These are amazingly effective at splitting pretty much any size log.
We had been working steadily for a couple of hours with a lunch break and had become comfortable with the operation of the equipment but had also become a little complacent with regards the safe operation of the machine.
Both Matt and myself had had a couple of near misses. Both of us had caught the tip of a glove in some timber movement but neither of us had stopped to think about what that really meant and what could have happened.
Both times we had those near misses it was because we were using the equipment incorrectly. Some of the logs were too long to go on the splitting deck grain onto the blade so we had begun putting them in sideways and cutting across the grain to shorten them first.
Because the blade didn't go all the way to the back plate we also were putting a block of wood behind the logs, this was the biggest mistake. During the cutting motion somtimes one or more pieces of wood would ride up and these were the bits which caught the glove tips.
This is what caught me. I got two fingers caught between a piece of wood and the backing plate. Mainly because I wasn't watching what my left hand was doing. The automatic reaction to getting a finger wedged against something is to pull your hand away, which I did. Unfortunately I left a couple of bits of finger and two nails behind when I did that.
They were left in the glove I was wearing. I don't have any gory photos to show you but it was very bloody and I could see bone through the mangled finger tips. Yes it did hurt, a lot, I did say a string of rude words.
After an ambulance ride and an overnight stay in the hospital I had plastic surgery for a couple of hours during which it seems that I still have full length fingers if a bit thinner
I am very greatful to the SA Ambulance crew who were very professional and all the Flinders Hospital staff who also were on top of their game and did their jobs with professional efficiency but were also very compassionate and caring.
To the plastic surgery team, I'll have a better idea of how well you did your job on Thursday when I get the finger reveal but it seems that you also deserve my gratitude.
I take all responsibility for this injury. It was entirely my mistake and could have been easily avoided. This post is just to make anyone who wants to use any power tool think a little about what they are doing, use the tool correctly and watch what both hands are doing.
I have now added a private post to this blog with photos of the repaired injury to my fingers. I don't have any of the initial trauma, yet, but I will post them if I can get a copy.
There is a warning here, if you don't want to see these images don't click the link.
Dressing change at home - Day 14
Dressing change at home - Day 17